harding



(No Model.)y

D. J. HARDING.

SIGN. No. 547,252. I Patented 001;.- 1, 1895.

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I IL IE @M faQ/M wir EUS/MP l tintasv 'raras DANIEL J. HARDING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MICHAEL E. SMITH, PATRICK M. MURPHY, AND PATRICK J. HARRIS, OF

SAME PLACE.

SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,252, dated October 1, 1895. Application filed November so, 1894. seria no. 530,324. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, DANIEL J. HARDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented cer` tain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in signs, and especially street-signs; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front View of a complete sign made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on o: x of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a section on y y of Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is to construct a sign especially adapted for the street, which will be durable and simple, and at the same time cheap and easily manufactured.

To this end I have constructed a sign, which in detail may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, l represents a frame, preferably of cast-iron, although I do not limit myself to any particular metal, nor do I wish to restrict the invention to cast metal, since the frame might be .struck from sheet or similar metal. In the rear of the frame l is formed a pocket for the reception of a suitable plate or board 2, the front surface of which is to determine the character of the letters which are to constitute the sign. As seen from Figs. l and 3, the stencil characiers or letters are cast with the frame, the edges 3 of each letter being beveled or in clined outwardly, so as to reduce to a minimum the foreshortening of the letters in cases where it is necessary to incline the sign to better facilitate the reading of it by the public. Moreover, the purposes of beveling the edges of the letters are to increase the amount of light admitted to the surface of the enameled plate and to cause the light from a source of light which may be situated anywhere between the extended planes of the beveled surfaces to be as eective as the light from a source of light situated directly in front of the sign. The pocketformed for the Vreception of the plate 2 is formed by a continuous iiange 4 along the sides of the frame and by lugs 5 5 and 6 6, suitably distributed along said ange, the said lugs all lying in the same plane, so that the frame can be more readily secured to a wall or surface designed to hold the sign. Forming part of the flange 4 and in continuation with the' lugs 6 are outwardly-projecting ears 7, having suitable openings or holes for the passage of screws or nails, by means of which the sign isi-secured, said ears being in alignment with the lugs 7 of the pocket.

It is apparent that in order that the letters or characters formed in the frame l shall be conspicuous the surface which is to form the background for the same should be of a character to absorb as little light as possible. Accordingly, I form a layer of enamel 9 or similar glazed or reflecting surface on that side'of the plate 2 which Yis to be placed adjacent to the stencil characters of the frame, as best seen in Fig. 3.

It is apparent that a sign constructed as here indicated presents many advantages. Itis easily manufactured; can be made light; the plate 2, with its reflecting-surface or background 9, if lost, can be readily replaced; if soiled, can be readily cleaned, and, on the whole, is a most desirable sign, especially for street purposes.

As seen from the drawings, and especially from Figs. 2 and 3, the fiange 4 is disposed only along the bottom and sides of the frame, thus allowing the plate 2, with its glazed layer, to be readily removed for purposes of repair, washin g, dac.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination with a stencilplate having upon one side beveled surfaces about the characters therein, of a removable, enameled and opaque reiiecting plate in contact with the other side of said stencil plate, the bleveled surfaces actingto admit to the reflecting plate the maximum quantity of light, and a wooden backing for the reecting plate secured to the stencil plate, substantially as described.

2. In a street sign a suitable frame or plate IOO having characters or letters out therein, said letters havingoutwardly inclined or beveled edges, a suitable pocket in the rear of the frame formed by rearwardly projecting flanges on three sides of the same and inwardly projecting lugs on said flanges, said pocket containing a backing for the sign consisting of a plate having on its front side next the stencil a reflecting layer of glaze or 

